Materials Handling

Chapter 7
Materials Handling
⚫ Material handling is an activity that uses
the right method to provide the right
amount of the right material at the right
place, at the right time, in the right
sequence, in the right position and at the
right cost
Materials Handling (Cont)
⚫ Systems perspective
⚫ 20-70% of product cost attributed to
material handling
Materials Handling Equation
⚫ Material Handling Equation (see Fig
11.3)
⚫ MATERIAL + MOVE = METHOD
 MH Equation
WHY? NECESSARY

WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? HOW? WHO?

UNNECESSARY MATERIAL MOVE

METHOD

4 8 9 10 11
1 2 3 5 6 7
Source and Handling Unit Equipment Manpower Physical Restrictions
Type Characteristics Quantity Logistics Characteristics Type
Destination

Scope External Local Support Function

Unit Shape Annual Distance Transporting Time/move Area
 point to point  carrier method  handling
 area  type  support  storage
 workplace  characteristics Conveying  suspend  auxiliary Hours/year Column Spacing
Bulk Frequency
Dimensions Maximum Inventory  department  other building  squeeze
 moves/time unit
 building  distant location  spear Hourly Cost Clear Hight
 other Manuvering Type indicated
Liquid  beyond  other
Rate  none
building
Temperature Per Delivery Internal Container  manual Annual Cost Aisle location
 measure 
Elevating
same  none  mechanical
Gas  Activities Speed
department  type  automated Aisle width
involved  other Positioning  construction
 vendor
Perishability Per move department Motion  size Desired
(thru to…)  Door size(s)
next workplace  tare characteristics
 customer 
Transfering
other floor  cost
Route Traffic
How Received  disposal Amount Floor load capacity
 place Load/unload level
Items/handling unit  required
 profile Environment capacity Running surface
 path  location  time/load
Others  level  conditions Handling units/total characteristics
 number of loads
Load/unload method quantity Overhead load
 hours/year
 number of capacity
% Transportation
Weight pieces of
equipment Ramp grades
% Handling
Number
Cost
Sequence  equipment cost/ Elevator capacities
hour
 annual cost
Power Availability

Congestion

Storage area
requirements
Materials Handling Principles
⚫ Planning ⚫ Automation
⚫ Systems ⚫ Environmental
⚫ Unit Load ⚫ Work
⚫ Standardization ⚫ Ergonomics
⚫ Space Utilization ⚫ Life Cycle
10 Principles of MH
Principle Definition

Planning A material handling plan is a prescribed course of action that

is defined in advance of implementation, specifying the
material, moves, and the method of handling

Standardization Standardization is a way of achieving uniformity in the

material handling methods, equipment, controls and software
without sacrificing needed flexibility, modularity and
throughput.

Work The measure of work is material handling flow (volume,

weight, or count per unit of time) multiplied by the distance
moved.

Ergonomic Ergonomics is the science that seeks to adapt work and

working conditions to suit the abilities of the worker.
10 Principles of MH
Unit load A unit load is one that can be stored or moved as a single
entity at one time, regardless of the number of individual items
that make up the load.

Space utilization Effective and efficient use must be made of all available space.

System A system is a collection of interdependent entities that interact

and form a unified whole.

Automation Automation is a technology for operating and controlling

production and service activities through electro-mechanical
devices, electronics, and computer-based systems with the
result of linking multiple operations and creating a system that
can be controlled by programmed instructions.

Environmental The environmental principle in materials handling refers to

conserving natural resources and minimizing the impact of
materials handling activities on the environment.

Life cycle cost Life cycle costs include all cash flows that occur between the
time the first dollar is spent on the material handling
equipment or method until its disposal or replacement.
Key Aspects of Planning
Principle
⚫ The plan should be developed as a consultation between the
planner(s) and all who will use and benefit from the equipment
to be employed.
⚫ Success in planning large scale material handling projects
generally requires a team approach involving management,
engineering, computer and information systems, finance and
operations.
⚫ The materials handling plan should reflect the strategic
objectives of the organization as well as the more immediate
needs.
⚫ The plan should document existing methods and problems,
physical and economic constraints, and future requirements
and goals.
⚫ The plan should be flexible and robust, so that sudden changes
in the process will not make the plan unusable.
Key Aspects of
Standardization Principle
⚫ The planner should select methods and
equipment that can perform a variety of tasks
under a variety of operating conditions and in
anticipation of changing future requirements.
⚫ Standardization applies to sizes of containers
and other load forming components as well
as operating procedures and equipment.
⚫ Standardization, flexibility and modularity
must not be incompatible.
Key Aspects of Work
Principle
⚫ Simplify processes by combining,
shortening, or eliminating unnecessary
moves to reduce work.
⚫ Consider each pick-up and set-down or
placing material in and out of storage, as
distinct moves and components of
distance moved.
⚫ Design layouts and develop methods,
and sequences, that simplify and reduce
work.
Key Aspects of Ergonomic
Principle
⚫ Equipment should be selected that eliminates repetitive and
strenuous manual labor and which effectively interacts with
human operators and users.
⚫ The ergonomics principle embraces both physical and mental
tasks.
⚫ Using ergonomics will improve production and reduce errors.
The material handlings workplace and the equipment employed
to assist in that work must be designed so they are safe for
people
Key Aspects of Systems
Principle
⚫ Systems integration encompasses the entire supply
chain including reverse logistics. The chain includes
suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and
customers.
⚫ At all stages of production and distribution minimize
inventory levels as much as possible.
⚫ Information flow and physical material flow should be
integrated and treated as concurrent activities.
⚫ Materials must be easily identified in order to control
their movement throughout the supply chain.
⚫ Meet customer requirements regarding quantity,
quality, and on-time delivery, and fill orders
accurately.
Key Aspects of
Automation Principle
⚫ Simplify pre-existing processes and methods
before installing should be simplified or re-
engineered before any efforts at installing
mechanized or automated systems.
⚫ Consider computerized material handling
systems where appropriate for effective
integration of material flow and information
management.
⚫ In order to automate handling, items must
have features that accommodate
mechanization.
⚫ Treat all interface issues in the situation as
critical to successful automation.
Key Aspects of
Environmental Principle
⚫ Design containers, pallets and other products used in materials
handling so they are reusable or biodegradable.
⚫ Systems design needs to include the by-products of materials
handling.
⚫ Hazardous material require special handling considerations.
Key Aspects of Planning
Principle
⚫ The plan should be developed as a consultation between the
planner(s) and all who will use and benefit from the equipment
to be employed.
⚫ Success in planning large scale material handling projects
generally requires a team approach involving management,
engineering, computer and information systems, finance and
operations.
⚫ The materials handling plan should reflect the strategic
objectives of the organization as well as the more immediate
needs.
⚫ The plan should document existing methods and problems,
physical and economic constraints, and future requirements
and goals.
⚫ The plan should be flexible and robust, so that sudden changes
in the process will not make the plan unusable.
Key Aspects of Life Cycle
Costs Principle
⚫ Life cycle costs include capital investment;
installation, setup, and equipment programming;
training, system testing, and acceptance; operating,
maintenance, and repair; and recycle, resale, and
disposal.
⚫ Plan for preventive, predictive, and periodic
maintenance of equipment. Include the estimated
cost of maintenance and spare parts in the economic
analysis.
⚫ Prepare a long range plan for equipment
replacement.
⚫ In addition to measurable cost, other factors of a
strategic or competitive nature should be quantified
when possible.
Multimedia CD
Unit Load
⚫ Unit load - number of items or bulk material arranged so
they can be picked up and delivered as one load
⚫ Large or small?
⚫ If large, cost/unit handled decreases
⚫ But, depending upon
• cost of unitizing, de-unitizing
• space required for material handling
• material handling carrier payload
• work-in-process inventory costs
• storage and return of empty pallets or containers used to
hold the unit load
⚫ smaller unit load may be desired
Unit Load (Cont)
⚫ Seven steps to design a unit load
• Unit load concept applicable?
• Select the unit load type
• Identify most remote source of load
• Determine farthest practicable destination for
load
• Establish unit load size
• Determine unit load configuration
• Determine how to build unit load
Material Handling Device Types

⚫ Conveyors ⚫ Jibs, Cranes and

⚫ Palletizers Hoists
⚫ Pallet Lifting Devices ⚫ Warehouse MHSs
⚫ Trucks ⚫ CICMHE website
⚫ Robots ⚫ CENTOR website
⚫ AGVs
Conveyors
⚫ Accumulation
⚫ Belt
⚫ Bucket
⚫ Can
⚫ Chain
Conveyors (Cont)
⚫ Chute
⚫ Gravity
⚫ Pneumatic or vacuum
⚫ Power and free
⚫ Roller
Conveyors (Cont)
⚫ Screw
⚫ Skid
⚫ Slat
⚫ Tow line
⚫ Trolley
⚫ Wheel
Palletizers
Pallet lifting devices
Trucks
⚫ Hand truck
⚫ Fork-lift truck
⚫ Pallet truck
⚫ Platform truck
⚫ Counterbalanced truck
⚫ Tractor-trailer truck
⚫ AGV
Robots
⚫ Point-to-point
⚫ Contouring or
continuous path
⚫ Walkthrough or
teach
⚫ Lead through or
teach pendant
⚫ Hydraulic
⚫ Servo-controlled
AGVs
Hoists, Cranes and Jibs
Warehouse MHSs
⚫ Discussed in Chapter 10
MHSs in Action
⚫ Europe Combined Terminals (ECT)
⚫ ECT - one of largest in world and largest
in Europe
⚫ Goods shipped from and to Europe
⚫ Built on reclaimed land in the North Sea
⚫ Large and Small containers
MHSs in Action
MHSs in Action (Cont)
⚫ Trucks wait to be off-loaded by straddle
carrier
⚫ Carrier takes container to holding area
⚫ Shipped in approximately 2 days
⚫ Mobile gantry cranes on tracks deposit
containers in forward area
MHSs in Action
MHSs in Action (Cont)
⚫ Mobile gantry cranes hold containers in
top four corners and deposit on waiting
AGVs
⚫ Fleet of AGVs in forward area take
containers to tower cranes
⚫ Tower cranes deposit load on ship bed
⚫ Procedure reversed for off-loading ship
MHSs in Action
MHSs in Action
MHSs in Action
AGVs
⚫ Classification of MHS
• Synchronous systems
• Asynchronous systems
⚫ Synchronous systems, e.g. conveyors,
used in continuous processes or heavy
traffic, discrete parts environments
AGVs (Cont)
⚫ Asynchronous systems, e.g., AGV,
AS/RS, fork-lift trucks, monorails, cranes
and hoists used in light traffic, discrete
parts environments when material
handling flexibility desired
Design and Control Problems in
AGVSs
⚫ Material flow network
⚫ Location of pick-up/drop-off (P/D) points
⚫ Number and type of AGVs
⚫ AGV Assignments to material transfer
requests
⚫ AGV routing and dispatching
Unidirectional AGVs

P1 D1
P/D 4
1 5
4

P/D 5

P/D 2
P6 D6

6
P3 D3

3
Bi-directional AGVS

P1 D1 P/D 4

1 5
4

P/D 5

2
D2
P2 P6 D6

6
P/D 3

3
Unidirectional zoned AGVs
Material transfer station

P1 D1 P4 D5

1
5
4

P5 D5

2
P2 D2

P6
6

P3 D3 D6
Design and Control Problems in
AGVSs (Cont)
⚫ Strategies for resolving
• route conflicts, so AGV throughput rate is
maximized
• other costs (purchase, maintenance and
operating costs of AGVs, computer control
devices, and the material flow network, as
well as inventory costs and production
equipment idle costs incurred due to
excessive material transfer and wait times),
are minimized
Rule of Thumb Approach to MHS
Design
Rule of Thumb Approach to MHS
Design
MHD Selection and Assignment
Model
⚫ Minimizes operating and annualized
investment costs of MHD
⚫ Variables and parameters
• i part type index, i=1,2,...,p
• j machine type index, j=1,2,...,m
• l MHD type index, l=1,2,...,n
• Li set of MHDs that can transport part i
• H length of planning period
• Di # of units of part type i to be produced
MHD Selection and Assignment
Model (Cont)
• Kij set of machines to which part type i can be
sent from machine j for next process
• Mij set of machines from which part type i can
be sent to machine j for next process
• Ai set of machine types required for the first
operation on part type i
• Bi set of machine types required for last
operation on part type i
MHD Selection and Assignment
Model (Cont)
• Vl purchase cost of MHD Hl
• Tijkl time required to move one unit of part type
i from machine type j to k using MHD l
• Cijkl unit transportation cost to move part type i
from machine j to k using MHD l
• Xijkl number of units of part type i to be
transported from machine j to k using MHD l
• Yl number of units of MHD type l selected
MHD Selection and Assignment
Model (Cont)

n p m
Min VlYl +   C ijkl X ijkl
l =1 i =1 j =1 kK ij lLi

Subject to
  X
j Ai kK ij lLi
ijkl = Di i = 1,2,..., p
 MHD Selection and Assignment
Model (Cont)

 X
kM ij lLi
ijkl −  X
kK ij lLi
ijkl =0 i = 1,2,..., p; j : j  Ai  Bi

  X
jBi kM ij lLi
ijkl = Di i = 1,2,..., p

p m

  X
i =1 j =1 kK ij
T
ijkl ijkl  HYl l = 1,2,..., n

X ijkl  0, Yl  0 and integeran i = 1,2,..., p; j = 1,2,..., m; k , l = 1,2,..., n

Example for MHS Selection and
Assignment
⚫ Small manufacturing system
⚫ Processes two high volume parts P1 and
P2- 50 and 60 units, respectively
⚫ Part P1 processed first on machine M1,
and on machines M2 or M4 for second
step and to machine M3 for final step
Example for MHS Selection and
Assignment (Cont)
⚫ Of the 60 units of part P2, 30 are
processed first on machine M1 and then
on machine M2.
⚫ The remaining 30 units of part P2 are
processed first on machine M3 and then
sent to machine M2 for final processing
Example for MHS Selection and
Assignment (Cont)
⚫ Two candidate MHDs - H1 and H2 with
purchase costs of $100,000 and
$140,000 available
⚫ Unit cost for transporting P1 and P2 on
each of the MHDs as well as
transportation times given
Example for MHS Selection and
Assignment (Cont)
⚫ Assume there are 7150 seconds in the
planning period
⚫ Each handling device is expected to
make empty trips 30% of the time
⚫ Determine the required MHDs and
assign departmental moves to them
 Example for MHS Selection and
Assignment (Cont)

M2 M1

P1

M1 M3 P2 M2

M4 M3
 Fm To M1 M2 M3 M4
P1 M1 H1 7(10) 8(5)
H2 5(8) 2(2)
P1 M2 H1 8(6)
H2 4(5)
P1 M4 H1 8(8)
H2 4(5)
P2 M1 H1 2(4)
H2 1(2)
P2 M3 H1 20(6)
H2 12(2)
 MILP Model for Example 1
MIN 100000 Y1 + 140000 Y2 + 7 X1121 + 5 X1122 + 8 X1141 + 2
X1142 + 8 X1231 + 4 X1232 + 2 X2121 + X2122 + 20 X2321 + 12
X2322 + 8 X1431 + 4 X1432
SUBJECT TO
2) X1121 + X1122 + X1141 + X1142 = 50
3) X2121 + X2122 = 30
4) X2321 + X2322 = 30
5) X1121 + X1122 - X1231 - X1232 = 0
6) X1141 + X1142 - X1431 - X1432 = 0
7) X1231 + X1232 + X1431 + X1432 = 50
8) - 5005 Y1 + 10 X1121 + 5 X1141 + 6 X1231 + 4 X2121 + 6
X2321 + 8 X1431 <= 0
9) - 5005 Y2 + 8 X1122 + 2 X1142 + 5 X1232 + 2 X2122 + 2
X2322 + 5 X1432 <= 0
END INTE 2
 Solution for Example 1
OBJECTIVE FUNCTION VALUE
1) 101410.0
Y1 1.000000 X1121 50.000000 X1231
50.000000
X2121 30.000000 X2321 30.000000
Queuing Model for MHS Design
⚫ Example 2: A bottled water producer in New England has a large
warehouse adjoining the bottling facility. Pallets of bottled water cases
have to be delivered from the palletizer to the warehouse. The company
has decided to use fork lift trucks for delivery of the pallets to the
warehouse. These can be leased from a manufacturer. It has been
determined that it takes an average of 15 minutes for a fork lift truck to
travel from the palletizer to the warehouse, unload the pallet and return
to the palletizer in the bottling facility. An operator is required to assist in
the loading operation and this takes twelve minutes per pallet on
average. Two or three such operators are available. Given that the inter-
arrival and operator service times follow an exponential distribution,
operator and fork lift leasing hourly costs are $20 and $50, respectively
and that the company wants to lease 5 trucks, determine whether 2 or 3
operators should be assigned in order to minimize the operator and fork
lift truck idle time.
AGV-DST
Expert Systems for Truck
Selection
MATERIAL

TYPE CHARACTERISTICS

Unit load (UL) Weight

Less than unit load

(LUL)

MOVE

LOGISTICS CHARACTERISTICS TYPE

Indoor/outdoor Distance per move Deck operations

Load/unload level Frequency
 lift height  picks per hour Unit load storage
Load/unload level OR
 self loading (SL)  utilization level
 external loading low: <20% Order Picking
(EL) medium: 20-50%
high: >50%
In-process handling
Environment
 surface (smooth/
rough) Yard operations
 metal debris (yes/
no)
 noise and exhaust

METHOD

PHYSICAL
HANDLING UNIT EQUIPMENT
RESTRICTIONS

Platform and Skid Rider/walkie Aisle size

Load-bearing Surface Condition

Pork and Pallet
capacity
Low tractor and
tractor trailer Lift height Ramps

Power availability
Expert Systems for Truck
Selection
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis
⚫ There are m stations which load or
unload n carriers
⚫ Amount of material loaded on the jth
carrier as it passes station i is fij
⚫ If material unloaded, assign a negative
value to fij
⚫ Load/unload cycle is a period of length p
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis (Cont)
⚫ Construct a set Fi = {fi1, fi2, ..., fip}
including load/unload activities carried
out in p successive carriers
⚫ For e.g., if add one load to one carrier at
the first station, unload two from the next
and let the third one go by without
loading or unloading and repeat, cycle
has a period of length 3
⚫ F1 = {1, -2, 0}
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis (Cont)
⚫ p need not be equal to n.
⚫ In a cycle, total material loaded must be
equal to total unloaded
m

 (f i1 + f i2 + ...+ f ip )= 0
i=1
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis (Cont)
⚫ One round completed when all m carriers have
gone around the conveyor once
⚫ So, n/p load and unload cycles in the first
round
⚫ If carrier j is in some position of the load/unload
sequence (with respect to station i) during one
round, it need not be in same position in
subsequent rounds
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis (Cont)
⚫ It can be shown that if n mod p is not
equal to 0, load picked up or dropped off
will change from one round to the next,
for the same carrier at the same station
⚫ Let Pijk be the load/unload sequence
position of a carrier j, with respect to
station i in round k
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis (Cont)
⚫ Given Pij1, Pijk can be determined using
the following formula, for k=2, 3, ..., p
⚫ Pijk = [Pijk-1 + n mod p] mod p
⚫ After p rounds, the position sequence
repeats itself
⚫ If Pijk=0, set Pijk=p
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis-Example

52413 13524

41352 53142

35241 14253

31425 25314
2
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis-Example
⚫ Load/unload cycle length has a period 5
⚫ F1={2, 0, 2, 0, 3}; F2={-2, 0, 0, -1, -4}
⚫ Determine the conveyor capacity
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis-Example
⚫ Do Example 3
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis-Example
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis (Cont)
⚫ Change conveyor capacity requirement
in one of three ways
• Change number of carriers n. Pijk will change
resulting in different cumulative loads and
hence, carrier capacity
• Change load/unload sequence of one or more
stations
• Change the location of one or more stations
Queuing Network Model for
Analysis of MHS Systems
Mean Value Analysis Algorithm
Step 1: The first step is to estimate an initial value of Lij. The best
method is to evenly distribute a part over all the stations it visits.
Step 2: Determine the throughput time Wij using the equation
1  N j − 1   Lij  Lir
Wij = j +     +
i  N j   i j  r  j ir
Step 3: Determine the production rate Xj using the equation
Xj=N j/[∑i=1,..m(vijWij)]

Step 4: Determine the queue length Lij using the equation

Lij=Xj(vijWij).

Step 5: Compare the Lij value calculated in step 4 with the previous
value. If the new value is within a desired range of the previous
value, stop. If not, go to step 2.
Models for Conveyor
Performance Analysis-Example
⚫ Do Example 5 - MVA